It is well known to use low voltage lighting, e.g., 12/24 volt halogen lighting for interior lighting. It has been found that such low voltage lighting greatly reduces power consumption as compared with known higher voltage lighting, e.g., standard 120 V light bulbs. Additionally, such low voltage lighting has a long service life in service and produces light of a quality which is highly desirable for residential, commercial and contract interior lighting.
In typical low voltage lighting applications, high voltage power, e.g., 120 V, is supplied directly to a low voltage lighting fixture, and the fixture includes a transformer to step down the power to the required low voltage level. A problem associated with such a fixture is that building codes typically require that access be provided so that the transformer can be replaced. Therefore, an access hole is required to be at least large enough to received a human hand. The typical code requirement is that an access hole be provided having a minimum diameter of 10 cm (4 inch) for accessing the transformer. However, the diameter of a typical low voltage lighting light bulb is between 3.5 and 5 cm (1.375 and 2 inches) having a trim or reflector assembly of a diameter between 5 and 7.5 cm (2 and 3 inches). The light bulb and trim or reflector assembly diameter is much smaller that the required 10 cm (4 inches) diameter access required by code, and therefore, a trim ring or other decorative device must be provided to reduce the size of the access hole to the size of the light bulb and trim or reflector assembly.
Another problem associated with known low voltage lighting fixtures having transformers mounted therein is that there may be a harmonic noise or hum made by the transformer at the frequency of the supply voltage. As is known in the art, such noise or hum is exasperated when the supply voltage is provided to the transformer via a dimmer. A dimmer is used to reduce the magnitude of the supply voltage, and therefore, the light intensity. When a large number of low voltage lighting fixtures are used in a lighting installation to light a large area, e.g., a restaurant dining room, all of the transformers used for each of the lighting fixtures can create an undesirable background noise, which can be appreciably louder when a dimmer is used.